Samsung's only response was the 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega with LTE in April, which isn't exactly a flagship device to hold the fort against the competition. It has a big screen, yes, but the internals don't scream high-end. Up until September, it seemed as though everybody had a jump on Samsung and its one-year-old Galaxy Note II. But like clockwork, the Galaxy Note 3 did arrive and the company that invented the phablet category is now on the offensive.

Design

Generally, the Galaxy Note 3 sports improvements in two key aspects: the feel and size. After sticking to using plastic for its mobile devices for the longest time, Samsung departed from its usual practice and slapped on a leather-like material for the removable back cover. As noted during our hands-on, the base is still plastic, but your fingers aren't feeling plastic.

While the leather-like material feels and looks good, we wonder how long it would take before the rear cover picks up dirt and stains. This is especially problematic for consumers who are planning to get the white Galaxy Note 3. As you can see from the photos, our review unit is white and we took every possible precaution during the past few days to make sure the rear remains pristine.

Perhaps a casing like the S View cover and Flip Wallet will help address this problem, but then you can't show off the beauty of the design. Alternatively, you can place the phone face down as the 5.7-inch display is reinforced with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which has improved durability against deep scratches and cracks. This should ease your concerns on the display getting scratched easily and the rear getting dirtied.

According to a spokesperson from Samsung Mobile Singapore, the company is able to achieve it through the use of thinner bezel, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and optimization of the mechanical design and hardware circuit placement in the device. After using the Galaxy Note 3 for the past few days, we felt that the Galaxy Note 3 provides a better handling than its predecessor. Somehow, the less rounded corners also look better to us. In addition, the metallic-looking sides add a premium touch to the Galaxy Note 3 and help in having a firm grip of the device. That said, these chrome edges seem to be treated the same as the Galaxy S4, and we can't help but wonder if there would be any chipping of the paint.

The layout of the buttons also remain the same; the Power button and volume controls are located on the right and left side of the device respectively. We feet that the volume controls are situated a little too high on the left side for easy access by right-handed users, while the placement of the Power button feels just right for both right and left-handed users.

You can find the 3.5mm audio output jack on the top left side corner and a microphone on the opposite side. The loudspeaker grille is housed at the bottom right corner beside the S Pen slot (because it's a travesty to punch holes on the leather-like back), which in our trials, sounded loud and clear.

Typical of Samsung's mobile phones, the Galaxy Note 3 sports a removable battery. We had no problems removing the rear cover. Located at the bottom right corner of the camera module and its LED flash are the micro-SIM and microSD card slots. The Galaxy Note 3 supports microSD cards up to 64GB, which complements the 32GB internal storage.

First Phone to Sport new Micro-USB 3.0

One of the key benefits of micro-USB 3.0 is faster transfer rates. With USB 3.0, it has the potential to transfer a 10GB file from a computer/laptop to an external storage device in about 25 seconds. In comparison, USB 2.0 takes more than five minutes.

Why do we use the word "potential"? Well, not all devices are able to maximize the increased speed provided by USB 3.0. Spinning hard drives, for example, are limited by their RPM and the read/write speed. What this means is that we have to wait for computing devices to be equipped with newer and faster hardware like solid-state drives to be able to enjoy the highest speeds possible offered by USB 3.0.

Another benefit is the faster charging of the device if plugged into a PC or Mac. While USB 2.0 generally provides up to 500mA current, USB 3.0 provides up to 900mA which is about 80% faster. If you've a micro-USB 2.0 charging cable, fret not, it'll still work just fine.

Accessories for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3

If you are planning to get official accessories for the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung Mobile Singapore has stated that it will have the Flip Wallet, the S View cover, the desktop dock, and the extra battery kit (which includes an extra battery and a charger kit) available at launch.

The Flip Wallet has a compartment on the left for you to put your business card, credit card or EZ-Link card. It also has the sleep/wake function.

Some of the key features of the S View cover include:

Receiving calls and notifications without opening the cover.

Swipe the screen and use the S Pen on the S View cover window to access shortcuts to Action Memo for you to jot down notes without opening the cover.

Activate the camera and control/play music.

Change the background colors of the screen that shows on the S View cover window.

Sleep/wake function

You can set the S View cover to unlock the screen when secure lock is disabled, choose the window color and decide whether to show weather information and/or Walking Mate information on the S View cover.

The pictures you've seen so far in this review are taken of the S View Cover Wireless. As the name suggests, it is different from the standard S View cover as it allows you to charge the Galaxy Note 3 wirelessly. The voltage output is 650mA. At point of publication, Samsung Mobile Singapore has no information on its availability and pricing. We reckon that the S View Cover Wireless will cost a little more than S$88 S View cover.